Friday, May 29, 2015

I just finished this painting of the Brooklyn Bridge, a view from lower Manhattan looking east. Never tire of looking at this magnificent icon of New York. I'd blocked this canvas in awhile ago and set it aside, waiting for the right time to tackle it. Not sure why I picked this time, as there is a lot of construction going on in my studio right now due to a restaurant remodel on the ground floor. Amid the sounds of drilling, hammering, welding and workmen coming in and out of my studio, I managed to finish this painting. Must have pretty good powers of concentration after all.

Currently working on two new paintings, larger scale this time. Just hoping an end to the construction is in sight.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Had a nice time during the LIC Arts Open Week-end. Saw several shows and visited some artist studios. Several friends from childhood joined me for brunch on Sunday at the Crescent Grill where I have 5 paintings on view in a group exhibition as well as several LIC-themed pillows. The pillows are almost all sold.

We went to see group exhibits in 2 old warehouse buildings, The Factory and the Falchi Buildings. Here we are standing in front of a deconstructed school bus sculpture, a fitting backdrop as we were in grade school together. In addition, I visited the Edison Price Lighting Gallery on Friday and was very impressed with their new gallery space. Among the studios I visited were those of Donna Levinstone, Elinore Schnurr, Zoe Morsette and Chi, all wonderful artists.

In all honesty, this 5-day event is a sprawling affair with way too many events and spaces to attend and visit. You really had to pick and choose. I saw some fine work, but I also saw some awful stuff. There is a lot of bad art being made today and one really has to sift through the junk to find those rare gems.

I'm posting this new study of the Long Island City Gantry today in honor of this past week's events in the neighborhood. Seriously thinking about working this one up into a larger painting.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

The Long Island City Arts Open is upon us next week and I will be participating this year in a group exhibition, STARS OF LONG ISLAND CITY, at the Dougherty Gallery at Crescent Grill. Opening Reception is Thursday, May 14, 6-8 pm. Located at 38-40 Crescent Street, Long Island City, NY. crescent grill.com

In addition to the paintings, I have created several LIC-themed pillows which will be available as well.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Just read that the Citicorp building in Long Island City, constructed in the late 1980's is up for sale (see article). It is currently the tallest building in Queens, but might not be for long. I painted this while the building was under construction. An older brick building in the foreground was constructed in 1889 and I decided to tackle this subject to show how a neighborhood had changed over a century. Many of the places I've painted have disappeared, but in this case, it looks like ownership will change hands with the tower still stands in the ever changing neighborhood that is Long Island City.

About Me

A born and raised New Yorker, I have been painting the urban landscape for the past 40+ years, with a real fascination and affection for the architecture of this great city. My work captures "what is here today that might be gone tomorrow". I created this blog to share info about my paintings and it is a "work in progress" evolving over time.
I will also be adding links to other artist blogs and those that focus on New York.
If you have any questions about the paintings, please contact me at SJFStudio@aol.com. You can see more samples of my work at my website www.sharonflorinart.com.
Thanks for visiting!